By C1 Staff
WARREN COUNTY, NY — An eight-year veteran corrections officer was allegedly fired after comments she made about her employer were recorded and later played for her bosses.
According to the Post Star, a federal judge has given former CO Kathleen Plummer the go ahead to continue with her lawsuit, which alleges that comments she made to a police officer about “think[ing] twice” about seeking employment with the Warren County Sheriff’s Office were what resulted in her termination.
The county’s lawyers had argued that Plummer was fired for reasons beyond the criticism, and that her comments were not “constitutionally protected” since they were “grievances made in the capacity as an employee.”
Disciplinary action had allegedly already begun against her for insubordination before the comments were even made.
Plummer filed the lawsuit in 2012, after an investigation by the Equal Employment Opportunity Council prompted the agency to issue her a “right to sue” letter.